Ink fountain for printing presses



Aug. 21, 1928.

c. L. Low

' INK FOUNTAIN FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed July 18, 1927 t IF IVENTOR' Chas .L. Low

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES 1.. LOW, 01? FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO Lrsnmw MANUFACTURING L COMPANY, or FRESNO. CALIFORNIA.

I NK FOUNTAIN FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

Application filed July 18, 1927. Serial No. 206,506.

This invention relates to improvements in printing presses and particularly to the ink fountain mounted thereon for supplying ink to the duct roll of the press, which roll in turn deposits the ink onto the ink plate arranged in connectionwith the type form.

My improved fountain is particularly de-. signed for use. on a. press of the type shown in my Patent No. 1,587,968, dated June 8th, 1926, and includes a roll which is rotated in connection with the operation of the press 111 substantially the same manner as is shown in the Patent to L. R. Barber, No. 1,412,766, dated April 11th, 1922.

The fountain structure comprises "fundamentally the roll above mentioned, and a fixed resilient plate cooperating with the roll and forming the ink retaining trough therebetween. A very narrow slit is left between the roll and the plate so as to enable the ink to pass out out of the trough and remain on the roll in the form of a thin layer. It is also desirable that this plate shall be adjustable to alter the size of the slit and, thus vary the quantity of ink fed out, as well as to enable compensation to be had as wear develops or with any slight variations in manufacture. Heretotore this adjustment has been had by means of adjustment screws bearing directly against the plate adjacent the roll at spaced intervals in the length of said plate. The result of this arrangement was that unless an excessively large number of adjustment screws was used, which was impracticable, the plate between the screws had a tendency to sag. More ink therefore remained on the roll between the plane of the screws than adjacent the same and an uneven or streaked appearance was obtained on the matter being printed. j

The principal object of my invention therefore is to avoid this objectionable feature by providing for an equal movement of the plate relative to the roll through the lengthof said plate when the adjustment screws are manipulated, without increasing the rigidity of the plate and without the use of a large number of screws. At the same time the spacing of the plate from the roll at different portions of the length of the latter may be varied if desired in the event that it is only necessary to capise the ink to be fed from a portion of the ro A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved fountain detached and partlv broken out. i

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. v

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the. drawings. the fountain comprises bottom and side walls 1 and 2 and a back wallil formed with the bottom wall. The latter extends beyond the side walls and is formed with pads t for attachment to the printing press. These parts are secured together to form a rigid unyielding unit.

The fountain roll 5 is disposed with a snug running fit between the sides 2 but clears the bottom member 1. The roll is fixed on a shaft 6 jonrnaled in the sidesQ and which is coupled' to the operating parts of the press to be intermittently rotated as is shown in said above mentioned patents and in the manner well known to those versed in the art.

Fixed on the upper end of the back wall 3 is a resilient plate 7 which extends downwardly thence toward the under side of the roll 3 and terminates adjacent thereto and substantially tangential therewith. plate has a snug fit between the side walls 2 and forms the bottom proper of the ink trough or fountain. Thelower end of this plate is adjusted to vary its closeness relative to the roll by means of a plurality of horizontal screws 8 which project through the back wall on the outside thereof and are movable longitudinally through tapped bosses 9 formed with the bottom and end members under the plate. These screws do not bear directly against the plate however but against the upper ends of substantially vertical rigid This strips or narrow bars 10 which are seated in and project upwardly from a longitudinal groove 11 cut in the under face of the bottom member 1. The groove is wider than said strips so that the latter along their upper edges are able to have a certain amount of rocking movement to and from the plate and roll. There is one such strip for each of the adjustment screws, each screw engaging the back face of the corresponding strip centrally of its length. All the strips are independent of each other but are somewhat close together so that practically the entire length of the plate will be acted on when the screws are manipulated. It will therefore be seen that while each screw is independently actuated, its movement will be transmitted uniformly to the plate,through the rigid strip, over a considerable portion of the length of the latter. The objectionable sag of the plate between the screws will therefore be eliminated, as will be evident, and the plate may very easily be adjusted so as to be properly spaced relative to the roll throughout its entire length.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An ink fountain including a roll, a resilient plate forming the bottom of the ink trough and having one edge disposed along and adjacent the roll, a rigid strip bearing along its upper edge against the under face of the plate adjacent the roll engaging edge i,es1,299

thereof, means supporting the strip along its bottom edge to allow of rocking movement of the strip, and means engaging the strip above the supporting means to rock the strip and cause it to press throughout its length against the plate.

An ink fountain including a roll, a rcsilient plate forming the bottom of the ink trough and having one edge disposed along and adjacent the roll, a plurality of separate rigid strips bearing against the hack face of the plate adjacent said edge over substantially the entire length of the plate, and individual adjustment means for each strip to press the same against the plate.

3. An ink fountain including a roll, a re silient plate forming the bottom of the ink trough and having one edge disposed along and adjacent the roll, a plurality of se )arate rigid strips bearing against the back ace of the plate adjacent said edge over substantially the entire length of the plate, and individual adjustment screws for t-heditfcrent strips bearing against the faces thereof opposite to the roll and centrally of their length.

4. An ink fountain including a roll. a resilient plate forming the bottom of the ink trough and having one edge disposed along and adjacent the roll, said plate projecting upwardly from the roll at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, a supporting structure for the roll and plate, a plurality of separate rigid and substantially vertical strips under. the plate, the upper edges of said strips bearing against the under face of the plate near the roll engaging edge thereof; the supporting structure having a groove parallel to the roll and wider than the strips in which the lower ends of the latter seat, and an adjustment screw for each strip mounted in the structure and bearing against said strip centrally of its length and above the groove.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

CHARLES L. LOlV. 

